Men who live-streamed threat over Periscope app plead guilty

COLUMBUS (AP) – Two men accused of live-streaming a threat to shoot up their Ohio neighborhood if their video feed scored enough viewers have pleaded guilty to inducing panic.

The Franklin County prosecutor says the men indicated over the Periscope app in February they’d empty an AR-15 rifle clip in Columbus if the stream reached 100 viewers. The prosecutor says the men also handed the rifle to a toddler.

Authorities say a concerned viewer in another state contacted police, who used the live stream to find the men.

The now-21-year-old men also pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of improperly handling a firearm, furnishing a firearm to a minor and evidence-tampering.